Cade Klubnik Highlights Clemson's Biggest Issue in Emotional Interview

After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Duke, leaving the Clemson Tigers still winless at home against a Power Four team this season, there was a lot of emotion from the players post-game.

Clemson senior signal caller Cade Klubnik spoke to the media, reflecting on the game and his final weeks playing in Tigertown.

Visibly emotional, Klubnik summed up the night – and much of the season – in just four words: "I'm just hurt, man."

Clemson's offense looked the best it has all season against the Blue Devils, marking a season-high in both points scored and offensive yards with 45 points and 560 total yards.

Klubnik completed 27-of-36 passes for a career-high 385 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers' ground game backed him up, with running backs Adam Randall and true freshman Gideon Davidson combining for 140 yards on 28 carries in one of their strongest outings of the season.

"I thought we played really well and really hard, just gritty," Klubnik said. "Having Tristan [Smith] in there and fighting. Having Adam [Randall] and Gideon [Davidson] just running through people. That fires everybody up. It was really cool to see. We played really well offensively and wish we had two of those drives back for sure. I felt like we were clicking, but credit to them, they got the stops when they needed them."

"I'm just really proud of our guys. I'm proud of our offensive line. The running backs played unbelievable, coach Swinney had challenged them throughout the week and they answered really well. They played their tails off. They never stopped playing, and it was fun to see us come back. Down 21-7, and we just rattled back and got right back in the game. I felt like we were in control, so it was cool to see us respond like that."

While the offense had an excellent performance, complementary football has been an extreme struggle for Clemson this season, sticking out as a notable point in each of the Tigers' five losses.

It's a theme that's frustrated both coaches and players, and one that Klubnik didn't shy away from addressing after the game.

"We just have to get better all around," he expressed. "Credit to Duke, they played a great game, but I think that there's some stuff where Clemson was hurting Clemson. I think that we have to clean up that stuff; you're not going to win much whenever that happens. You have to be able to play complementary football at its finest and play as a team."

With Clemson's season teetering on the edge, every game down the stretch feels like a fight to keep postseason hopes alive. At 3-5 overall and 2-4 in conference play, the Tigers find themselves in unfamiliar territory, battling to stay bowl eligible rather than competing for an ACC title. The pressure surrounding the program has only intensified, and much of it has fallen on Klubnik's shoulders.

Yet despite the noise and weight of expectation, the senior quarterback hasn't wavered in his approach. Instead, he has leaned into what has always guided him: his faith and love for Clemson as a whole.

"In terms of my motivation, I lean on my faith a lot, and God says, 'Do what you do as if you were working for the Lord.' So, I'm going to continue to play quarterback and lead as if I'm working for the Lord. I think that the biggest thing, other than that, is that I love this place. I love everything about it," Klubnik said with tears in his eyes. "I only got a few more days here, and I want to give it everything I have, and I feel like I have—the fans that are here and the community. Everything that it means to be here has been a dream come true. We're going to continue to fight for four more weeks."